Chris Sebelski, Ph.D., D.P.T., Named Chair of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training SLU

Following an extensive national search with many qualified candidates during spring 2024, Chris Sebelski, Ph.D., D.P.T., was named the new permanent chairperson of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training in the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University.

Sebelski has a Ph.D. in higher education and leadership from Saint Louis University and a Doctor of Physical Therapy from the University of Southern California. She is board certified in orthopedic physical therapy through the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties.

Sebelski joined SLU in 2008 after serving several years at the University of Southern California. She was named the interim chairperson of the department in 2021. She has been responsible for providing leadership to faculty and staff and overseeing the programs and budget of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training.

During this time, the department has continued to move forward with recruitment and curricular initiatives, and growth in clinical partnerships for both the programs in physical therapy and athletic training.

As an interim chairperson and administrator of the program in physical therapy, she presided over a significant rise in national rankings to No. 26 according to the U.S. News & World Report of Best Physical Therapy Schools in America. Sebelski continues to serve as the director of the post-licensure residency physical therapy programs overseeing the SLU SSM Health Physical Therapy Orthopedic Residency and the SLU SSM Health Physical Therapy Women’s Health Residency.

Sebelski has a long history of leadership and advocacy at Saint Louis University and nationally in her profession. Her faculty roles involve teaching, research and clinical practice. She has served as faculty within graduate and undergraduate programs, within traditional and hybrid curricular models of instruction, and within accelerated programs and post-baccalaureate programs in physical therapy.

Her teaching focus is within clinical reasoning and her clinical practice is in the orthopedic population. Her area of scholarship and the focus of her recent publications and presentations is leadership in health care, competencies of leadership, and the impact of self-efficacy on behavior change. Sebelski has also presented information related to visual analysis of human movement, clinical reasoning, and evidence-based practice in musculoskeletal physical therapy at international and national conferences.

Among her notable contributions to the University are service on the University Strategic Planning Committee, chair of the Faculty Senate Compensation and Fringe Benefits Committee (CFBC) and roles in multiple search committees. Nationally, Sebelski is recognized for her leadership roles in American Council of Academic Physical Therapy (ACAPT) and the American Board of Physical Therapy Residency and Fellowship Education (ABPTRFE).

“I look forward to Dr. Sebelski’s continued leadership of the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training in the Doisy College of Health Sciences at Saint Louis University," said Bernard Rousseau, Ph.D., dean of the Doisy College of Health Sciences.

“Dr. Sebelski has the experience and skills necessary to move forward and advance many of the department’s most important initiatives and I am excited to watch its programs continue to excel under her leadership."

The Doisy College of Health Sciences has provided students with the tools and education to become well-prepared health care professionals since 1929. The Doisy College of Health Sciences offers healthcare education at the baccalaureate, master’s, doctoral and professional levels in a variety of health-related fields.

Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 13,000 students on two campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of more than 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.